But the Scotland boss reckons he will know when his stricken captain will be ready to wear the blue of his country again ... when he sees him in the red of his club.

The Manchester United midfielder is almost there. Two years on from being struck down with the chronic bowel condition that threatened his career, Fletcher has turned out for the Old Trafford reserves and is nearing a return to Davie Moyes’s first team.

Until that happens, however, his international manager will not consider recalling the 29-year-old.

He believes Fletcher’s health is more important than any football match and until his club is satisfied he can play at the highest level, Strachan will bide his time.

The Scotland boss named 25 players for the upcoming double header against the USA and Norway and can’t wait for the day he can add the captain’s influence to the growing belief within his squad.

But he is prepared to be patient. Strachan said: “I was always confident he could come back. I have a mate who had the same thing – and he’s back playing tennis and all bits and bobs. He’s an older guy but he had the same thing.

“I think we just leave Darren for now. The thing I’m looking for is his first game with the United first team.

“Can he help us? Obviously. But we leave him till then. We have nothing to do with it apart from phoning up and seeing how he is.

“When he has played that first United game we should celebrate that. Then we take it from there.

“By just standing out there he can make a difference. But in saying that the people in the midfield have been terrific.

“They’ve set a great standard. Like the standard at Manchester United – Darren has to get back to that standard first.

“Our central midfield players have done very well but I’m sure they’ll be delighted to have Darren putting them under pressure.”

The only new boy in the squad is Partick Thistle keeper Scott Fox but there are recalls for Steven Fletcher, Matty Phillips and Christophe Berra, while Leigh Griffiths, George Boyd and Ross McCormack have dropped out.

Strachan is delighted to have Sunderland striker Fletcher available after a serious ankle injury kept him out for months.

He said: “It’s wonderful we have Fletcher back. He can add pressure to other people. I don’t think Steven Naismith needs a kick up the backside because he automatically goes and plays. But it’s great to have great players back.

“There’s no doubt Fletcher can improve the squad no end. He’s not an out-and-out scorer but he makes everyone in the team better. That’s what I’m looking for.”

Strachan insists he will not experiment in these matches because he wants to keep winning. Preferably with a bit of style.

But he added: “I watched games all over the country at the weekend and don’t recall too many of them winning in style.

“I think it’s is a real bonus, even a myth, that you can win in style.

“You just have to ask Malky Mackay how he felt on Sunday – absolutely terrific I bet. It was a real man’s performance from his Cardiff team and himself.

“We were looking for the style from Swansea but do you think they are caring about style today having so many passes? No, they looked like they were going back on that bus really upset. So we want to win first and foremost.”

The Scotland boss doesn’t do friendlies and he pointed to his own personal crime count in these games to prove the point.

Strachan said. “I got sent off once in 842 competitive games but three times in friendlies. That’s embarrassing, isn’t it?

“You can’t just switch it on and off. We will be preparing as if it is a normal game.”

Which isn’t what happened the last time Scotland came up against Jurgen Klinsmann’s USA – that night in May 2012 Craig Levein’s team went through the motions and were skelped 5-1.

Strachan is determined to avoid a repeat and is looking forward to locking horns with the man whose shirt he has as a souvenir.

He said: “I’ve played against Jurgen – when Coventry beat Spurs at White Hart Lane. We swapped shirts. He came into our dressing room and I grabbed his jersey.

“The USA have a good standard of players who are getting their education by playing in different leagues all around the world.